Now this is what I call music.

It's more addicting than videogames and is more entertaining than the Generation Trance Episode 3.0 CD I wrote about a while back.

Wait, better?!

Sure, it is, seeing that you can buy Generation Trance for $1 and this for $15 at Wal-Mart. Here's why.

Knowing my addiction to house, trance and techno music, I like the fast type of music I can tap my foot to. Something that can not only be played, but something I can feel. Dance Party (Like Its 2003) is that type of music. The Happy Boys remixed this entire 58 minutes of music with 16 songs so that I can get that instant uplifting mood. I may repeat a lot because the songs have the same feel.

Let's start out with Wide Life and their song "I Don't Want U". The female singer not only has the deep, soothing voice in the song, but her voice can range soft and quiet to harsh and loud. "Came home today, just another day, and working hard, just to pay the rent...". The beat keeps up her uplifting message intact and when the chorus kicks in, it progressed into a harder, more straightforward message.

I've told you once, I've told you twice, don't wanna hear, your tired lies, so pack your bags, cuz' I don't want U coming back no more"

And in the usual fashion, the songs will blend into each other. At 3 minutes, 48 seconds, it turns into the song "I Never Knew (Mike Rizzo Global Club Mix)" by Gloria Gaynor. Her voice, similarly sounding like the singer in "I Don't Want U", first sings about her loneliness. "It's really been a long time, since I let somebody hold me, since I felt safe in somebody's arms, Mmmm-mmmmm.". She then sings about her life after a new person walks into her life, saying that "All this time, you were right here, he's been through nothing but wrong, and although the best thing in my life was... right here with me all along". Hence the title, I Never Knew. Her voice, first in a normal volume, gradually turns direct into the chorus, making it seem like a "progressive house" style of music.

At 3 minutes, 54 seconds, the song goes into a fancier, even more uplifting song with a trumpet-sounding instrument accompanying the drums. "It Just Won't Do" by Tim Deluxe feat. Sam Obernik is the song, with yet again female singer singing the vocals. The voice of the singer is "pitchy" in a way, where she moves her words in a folk song fashion. Not in a usual way, but fast enough that I can understand the lyrics clearly. The message of the song is about how things haven't lived up to her standards. "But my heart, it won't obey, it won't do, without you".

At 3 minutes, ten seconds, the song turns into "Just The Way You Are" by the singer Milky. In a pop-sounding trance-type beat, the sounds of "do-do-do-dodo-dodo-do" play while another voice agrees, as in "Do-do-dodo-do-dodo-do, uh huh". The song's message is about how the singer likes a person for just they way they are. The beat is accompanied by guitars in a drum-beating fashion.

After 3 minutes, 11 seconds, Narcotic Thrust's "Safe From Harm", featuring Yvonne John Lewis, begins as track number 5. The beat is more of an underground-type, because it isn't as heavy in beat as in the other songs as the beginning verse does not have any drum or any other instrument, except for the female's voice. "I see my reflection, I don't like what I see, I'm losing my way somebody protect me, and do me right and keep me safe from harm..."

The next song, I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) by Roxane has the same feel to it, most like a part two of "Safe From Harm". The beat is like what you'd usually hear in older rap songs, like a "Boom-BoomBoom-Bah" sound with a lower-sounding synthesizer being played. Another drum plays before the robotic sounds of "4PHASEMX" repeats with the singer backs up the voice by moaning "yeah, uh-huh" at certain times. It's not anywhere near trance, but more of the basic House music (for some reason the song makes me feel as if it was made in the 80's, but was made in 2002). The song starts after 3 minutes, 26 seconds of "Safe From Harm".

Track seven has a more modern-disco sound with a voice and singing style that reminds me of the Spice Girls. The song is called "Back 4 The Morning" by Neja. It's 3 minutes, 12 seconds long and it's a joy to play because it's about the more uplifting songs with an interesting sound. The song's chorus goes a little something like "If you want to dance, come on take this chance, because I want to breathe, don't make it real...". Definitely a song that sounded like it was remixed from a pop song.

"Tears (Dezrok Radio Mix)", by Rockell is again a more powerful song with an underground feel in the verses, because it is more enhanced in the choruses. Obviously, synthesizers are used for a drum beat and a higher pitched noise behind it. It's used throughout the song as the singer sings about how "Tears... are all that she has now, now that she has you", so it makes me believe that this song is about how a woman is upset about how she has a new person in her life. It's as if a man left the singer for another woman and now that other woman is regretting her choice.

At number nine, Reina sings "No One's Gonna Change You", a song that's like "I Wanna Dance With Somebody". Even though the songs aren't alike in sound, both songs are stripped down to the vocals and only a couple of instruments. Not much going on for beat, but as soon as the chorus kicks in, the song gets uplifting, a more positive message starts. It progresses into a upbeat song. "Because No One's Gonna Change You, and I won't be wasting my time, I'm gonna find someone, who will treat me right".

Number ten is more of a filler in a way. "Rainy Day", by Renee Stakey, is a lower-mooded song. Although it has a good beat, it is not as much a dance song because the beats don't really improve the song. The singer's voice is dull like the title. It does have good points though, as the singer gives a message about how she'll "Wait until a rainy, rainy day". It's as if any good things are put off until there is nothing to do on a dreary morning.

But alas, the poor dance song Rainy Day transforms into an excellent song, "Heaven" by DJ Sammy & Yanou featuring Do. It's probably the best song on the CD. At five minutes long exactly, this faster beating dance hit is enough to make me want to dance, even though I don't. The progressive beats in the beginning has really improved the song a lot, unlike when it was included in the CD "Trance Party Volume Two" when the entire introduction was cut out in the sake of time. The lyrics, starting with "Baby, you're all that I want, and I like to be in your arms, it's finally hard to believe, we're in Heaven" shows the mood of the song in the beginning. The zips of the synthesizers and the help of--get this, violin-sounding instruments-- and the drums make me feel as if the weight is being lifted off everyone's shoulders and there is nothing to worry about. Definitely something to listen to.

4 Strings, and their song "Take Me Away (Into The Night)", is like a slower dance song in the beginning, but then it progresses into a nicer mix of instruments with the synthesizers, the drums and the vocals. "Into the night, kept them all inside, I needed time, to make up my mind". It's message is about how the singer wants time to think about things and she wants to be taken away into the darkness so her thoughts can ride wild.

Now think about kazoos, synthesizers, and the theme song of a Japanese anime cartoon. Those are what I thought of in this short 2 minute, 36 second song "The Theme" by Jurgen Vries. It's kooky buzzing of high pitched synthesizers and piano duo really help improve the song's dynamics in pitch range. Suddenly, the song gets better when the drums kick in, with a spiraled flare that gives it a theme song sound. It's wild for a dance song, and it's for those who like to really dance their heart out. There's no vocals in this song.

It then calms down and turns into Lasgo's "Something", a song with a great drum beat and a back-up sound of the synthesizers. "I don't wanna say I'm sorry, cuz' I know there's nothing wrong, don't be afraid, there's no need to worry, but my feelings for you are still strong. Hold me in your arms, and never let me go, hold me in your arms, cuz' I need you so". It's underground beat and it's uplifting sound at the same time is a unique blend with the vocals being sung very clear, clearer than the other songs. This song was the second song played on the "Trance Party Volume Two" CD, right after "Heaven".

The beginning of number 15, "Reason", by Ian Van Dahl, sounds like the drums are being repeated, like the CD just keeps skipping. Don't be concerned, because that's the song itself. "I think it's time to talk to you, think it's time to realize, where is the love? Are we gonna stay together, or is it time to say goodbye, where is the love? And give me a reason, to hold on to what we got, there must be a reason...". The synthesizers raise the feeling of the song with the drums progressing throughout the chorus, while repeating "give me a reason, and hold on to what we've got".

Finally after three minutes, you got the last song, "Come (Into My Dreams)" by Foggy. This song is more trance like from "Trance Party", with it's synthesizers being overused in the song. The singer sounds like her voice was vocodered to where it sounds higher, like what your voice sounds like when sped up. "Come into my dreams, let me show you where I've been. It's you and me I've seen, let me tell you what I mean".

A couple of problems of this CD is it's blending of songs. Usually I want to hear the entire song, but instead of it ending, it transitions into the next song. Another problem is it's use of songs from "Trance Party Volume Two". You've already seen that I use it three times as a reference because two songs were put into this CD from "Trance Party".

Conclusion

Listening to trance, dance or house music will take a minute to get used to for its hyper and repetitive beats, but as soon as you get hooked, you won't stop listening to it. It's probably the only types of music I'm addicted to, and you would too. Dance Party (Like It's 2003) would be a great beginner's CD for those wanting to experience the dance music genre. I recommend it at four stars because it's the most interesting mix of music available for those who like music with a good beat. Generation Trance Episode 3.0 used to be my favorite CD. Because of listening to this, I'm changing the score on the Generation Trance review to four stars (compared to five) because it sounds cheap compared to this.

CD Scores (Out Of 5 Stars)

"I Don't Want U" ****
"I Never Knew" *****
"It Just Won't Do" *****
"Just The Way You Are" ****
"Safe From Harm" ***
"I Wanna Dance With Somebody" ****
"Back 4 The Morning" ****
"Tears" ***
"No One's Gonna Change You" ****
"Rainy Day" **
"Heaven" *****
"Take Me Away" ****
"The Theme" *****
"Something" *****
"Reason" *****
"Come (Into My Dreams)" ****

All the stars added up, divided by number of songs= avg. grade, which is 4.125 (four stars).


CD INFO

Produced by Cory Robbins
Co-Produced by John Parker
Mixed by the Happy Boys (Robbins & Parker)

All songs were written in 2002.

Also Try:

Trance Party Volume One and Two
Dance Party (Like It's 2002)
House Party Volume One
Generation Trance 1, 2 and 3.0

~Scott